2007 Class

Amal Aldabbabseh

Amal Aldabbabseh, Environmental Specialist, United Nations Development Programme, Amman, Jordan
Ms. Aldabbabseh is an Environment Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme in Amman, Jordan. She is currently responsible for the development, management, and monitoring of UNDP's regional environment portfolio. She participated in the Heinrich Boll Foundation's capacity building program for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, participated in three WSSD preparatory committees and attended the World Summit in Johannesburg. She has also worked with the Ul-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center in Amman and with the Human Forum on Women's Rights in Amman. She received a B.Sc. with honors at Hashemite University in Jordan and also receive an M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Management at the University of Amman, Jordan.

Raj Atluru

Raj Atluru, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Juvertson, Menlo Park, CA
Raj Atluru is a Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson where he serves on the boards of Great Point Energy, Konarka Technologies, mChek, Pro Quo, SeventyMM, Varolii, Ping Identity, Reva Electric Vehicle and Solicore. He has over 15 years of venture capital, private equity, and leveraged finance experience both domestically and in emerging markets with a specific focus on India. As an advocate for clean technology entrepreneurs and venture capital, Mr. Atluru is frequently cited in leading industry and national publications interested in the emerging clean technology sector. Previous to joining DFJ, Mr. Atluru worked in venture capital and leveraged finance in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Philadelphia. Mr. Atluru received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.

Suzanne Biegel

Suzanne Biegel, Consultant, Catalyst at Large, Marina Del Rey, CA
Suzanne is an entrepreneur, investor, board member, and consultant. She was the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year and Woman of the Year awards in Los Angeles. In 2004, Suzanne founded a nonprofit focused on engaging businesses in getting out the vote, called Voteworks, and co-managed the national nonprofit November 2 campaign. Suzanne is an active member of Investors' Circle and Social Venture Network, is Vice Chair of the Board of Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles, and is on the advisory board of the Sustainable Business Council of LA. Her current consulting as a Catalyst at Large spans strategy work with the green publishing company Greenopia: the urban dweller's guide to green living, the launch of a green restaurant in Los Angeles, sitting on the investment committee of a new angel venture fund focused on sustainability, acting as emcee for the Investors' Circle venture fair, and work as a senior adjunct consultant with the sustainability consulting firm Natural Logic.

Shelley Billick

Shelley Billik, Vice President, Environmental Initiatives, Warner Bros., Los Angeles, CA
Shelley Levin Billik is a Mexico City native, also raised on a kibbutz in Israel and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After college, she began working at an environmental engineering firm, supporting projects focused on Assembly Bill 939, California's waste reduction laws that were passed in 1989. This brought about the opportunity to apply for a Recycling Coordinator position at Warner Bros. studios, where for the next 15 years she grew the program from the one position within a Safety department, to a full services environmental strategy department. She is now the Vice President of Environmental Initiatives for Warner Bros. Entertainment. Warner Bros. has also been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 1999 and in 2004 participated in the LEED for Commercial Interiors pilot program with the remodel of a 56,000 sq. ft. office building.

Rajsekhar Budhavarapu

Rajsekhar Budhavarapu, Director of Development, Accion Wind Energy Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India
Mr. Budhavarapu is currently Director of Development for Accion Wind Energy Ltd. in Bangalore, India, and is responsible for all aspects of wind project development including siting, design, market research and regulatory affairs. Previously, he was the General Manager of Wind and Regulatory Affairs, where he was responsible for development of wind power plants on a Build Own and Operate basis in Africa and South East Asia for Enercon India Power Development Ltd. Mr. Budhavarapu also worked at the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands as an Engineering Scientist, working on a Solar Home System Distribution Project undertaken by Shell Solar BV with support from the Government of the Netherlands. He received a Bachelor of Technology in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Masters in International Finance form the University of Amsterdam.

Erin Carlson

Erin Carlson, Director, Yahoo! For Good, Yahoo!, Inc., San Francisco, CA
As Director of Yahoo! for Good, the company's Social Responsibility department, Ms. Carlson is responsible for leading Yahoo!'s environmental strategy and corporate social responsibility programs. Her primary focus is inspiring Yahoo!'s audience of over 500 million people to be more "green" in their daily lives through use of Yahoo! products. She helped guide the development of a new Yahoo! Green site to encourage people to take eco-friendly actions and has driven the creation of Yahoo! Earth Day sites since 2005. She also spearheaded Yahoo!'s worldwide initiative to become carbon neutral and rallied grassroots efforts by launching a Green Team of hundreds of employees across the globe. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Ms. Carlson worked at Nike Inc. in Apparel Sustainability and at Business for Social Responsibility as Environment Program Manager.

Helen Gichohi

Helen Gichohi, President, African Wildlife Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Helen Gichohi is responsible for directing the African Wildlife Foundation's African Heartlands Program in eight massive landscapes throughout central, eastern, and southern Africa. Dr. Gichohi works with a wide variety of scientists, community officers, government officials, lawyers, donors, and partners to ensure the future for Africa's wildlife. She designs and manages conservation strategies which will reduce threats to wildlife in the Heartlands and improve socioeconomic conditions for the people living there. During the 42nd Independence Day celebrations, the President of the Republic of Kenya awarded Dr. Gichohi the Order of Great Warrior of Kenya Award in recognition of her sterling contribution to conservation.

Mark Gold

Mark Gold, Executive Director, Heal the Bay, Santa Monica, CA
Shortly after Heal the Bay was founded in 1986, Mr. Gold began volunteering to help the organization fight coastal pollution. Two years later, he became the organization's first employee, serving as its staff scientist. In 1994, he was hired as the organization's executive director. During his time at Heal the Bay, he has helped author and pass nine statewide environmental laws and garner hundreds of millions of dollars for coastal protection. In 2006, he was one of the first recipients of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. He also was awarded the Durfee Foundation's Stanton Fellowship 2006-07. Mr. Gold has also instituted a variety of educational programs to provide public school students with a comprehensive environmental education.

Lindsey Holmes

Lindsey Holmes, Alaska State Legislature (D), House of Representatives – 26th District, Juneau, AK
Rep. Holmes currently serves in the Alaska State Legislature, where she is a member of the Administration Regulation Review and Fisheries Committees, the Judiciary Committee, and an alternate on the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. Prior to her service in public office, she worked as an attorney in private practice specializing in real estate and energy law and clerked for Alaska Supreme Court Justice Warren Matthews. She serves on numerous boards including the YWCA of Anchorage and The Nature Conservancy Alaska Chapter, and was a 2003 recipient of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce's "Alaska's Top 40 Under 40" Award.

Ian Kim

Ian Kim, Director, Green-Collar Jobs Campaign, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland, CA
Ian Kim works at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights as Director of the "Green-Collar Jobs Campaign". He coordinates a coalition that advocates for policies in the city of Oakland to create "green-collar" jobs, especially for low-income young adults and those with barriers to employment. Ian successfully led a campaign for the City of Oakland to fund an Oakland Green Jobs Corps training program, and helped craft key portions of the federal Green Jobs Act, which passed the House of Representatives in August 2007. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights runs cutting-edge, solutions-driven campaigns for justice, peace and opportunity in our cities. The Green-Collar Jobs Campaign works to leverage the explosive growth of the new green economy to provide pathways out of poverty in struggling urban communities, starting with Oakland, CA.

Heather Lauver

Heather Lauver, Director, Worldwide Corporate Responsibility, Pfizer, Inc., New York, NY
Heather Lauver is the Director of Worldwide Corporate Responsibility at Pfizer Inc. Pfizer is a research-based global health care company that is consistently ranked as one of the top global givers. Pfizer's global outreach programs involve fighting blinding trachoma, HIV/AIDS, malaria and cancer. Ms. Lauver joined Pfizer in 1998 to further develop the International Trachoma Initiative and provide consultation on philanthropy and public health initiatives. She currently leads global operations for international access programs and collaborates on related global policy. Prior to joining Pfizer, Ms. Lauver worked and consulted on a wide range of US and international healthcare topics including Medicaid Managed Care, physician practice and hospital management, and infectious diseases.

John Morton

John Morton, Managing Director, Economic Policy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC
Mr. Morton is Managing Director, Economic Policy at The Pew Charitable Trusts, which is anchored by the Economic Mobility Project, an initiative seeking to broaden the current national debate on income inequality to include a more substantive focus on economic mobility and opportunity. Prior to joining Pew, Mr. Morton served as Director of National Security Policy for the John Kerry Presidential campaign where he coordinated the development of campaign policy toward Afghanistan, Russia and the former Soviet states, Africa, and on issues relating to democracy, human rights and economic development. Previously, Mr. Morton was Investment Officer with Global Environment Fund, where he oversaw global investments in sustainable forestry and the natural gas sector and developed a clean energy practice. He also worked as a strategy consultant with Mercer Management Consulting and began his professional career at the World Bank, where he managed investments in the former Soviet Union.

Rebecca Nadel

Rebecca Nadel, Regional Sustainable Development Advisor, Shell Canada Limited, Calgary, Canada
Ms. Nadel is currently the Regional Sustainable Development Advisor at Shell Canada Limited in Calgary, Canada. At this position, she serves as a liaison to the US Business Council on Sustainable Development, works with a steering team to develop Shell's climate change strategy and action plan, as well as collaborating with Shell Group biodiversity experts and Business for Social Responsibility on Ecosystem Services and Market initiatives. Previously, Ms. Nadel worked for the National Park Service and the National Academies National Research Council. She received a BS in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, an MS in Engineering from Penn State University, and an MBA/MS from the University of Michigan.

Ebenezer Emmanuel Kofi Nketsia-Tabiri

Ebenezer Emmanuel "Kofi" Nketsia-Tabiri, Regional Manager, E+Co Africa, Centurion, South Africa
Mr. Nketsia-Tabiri's most recent position is Regional Manager of E+Co Africa. His duties included oversight of E+Co Africa operations in nine African countries and implementation of a five year strategic business plan, 54 enterprises and a portfolio value of over $4.7 million. E+Co's underlying purpose is to stimulate long-term, institutionalized channels of investment in environmentally superior forms of energy production and use in developing countries. Currently, he is on academic leave to pursue a Masters in Corporate and International Finance from the Durham University Business School in the United Kingdom. Before joining E+Co, Mr. Nketsia-Tabiri was a project investment officer with KITE, a Ghanaian NGO engaged in energy policy. He received his BSc with honors in Mechanical Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.

Oliver "Trip" Pollard

Oliver "Trip" Pollard, Director, Land and Community Program, Southern Environmental Law Center, Richmond, VA
Trip Pollard is a Senior Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, a non-profit environmental organization that works in six southern states. He is the director of SELC's Land and Community Program, which uses public education, policy reform, and legal advocacy to promote transportation and land use decisions that protect the environment and enhance the quality of life of this region. Trip previously worked on SELC's Energy Project to reduce the environmental impacts of power production, with a primary emphasis on promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. Trip has written dozens of reports and articles on energy, transportation, land use, and environmental issues, including pieces for Planning, Urban Land, American Journal of Health Promotion, Fordham Urban Law Journal, Environmental Law Reporter, and The Virginia Environmental Law Journal. Before joining SELC, Trip served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.

Heather Quinley

Heather Quinley, Director, EHS National Stewardship Strategy, Duke Energy, Cincinnati, OH
As Director of EH&S National Stewardship Strategy at Duke Energy, Ms. Quinley manages external stakeholder strategy with non-profit organizations and academia; develops and communicates Duke's national environmental stewardship strategy; and identifies and implements selected initiatives both internally and externally to enhance Duke Energy's envirnmental leadership commitment. She has previously worked at Economists Incorporated as a research assistant and has taught English through the Central European Teaching Program in Hungary. Ms. Quinley is a member of Women Executive Peer Exchange Network, a former board member of Family Nurturing Center of Northern Kentucky, and an executive mentor with the Xavier Executive Mentoring eXchange. She received a BA in Environmental Science form the University of Virginia and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard.

Eben Schwartz

Eben Schwartz, Marine Debris Program Manager, California Coastal Commission, San Francisco, CA
Mr. Schwartz serves as the Marine Debris Program Manager for the California Coastal Commission, the agency charged with protection and regulation of the state's 1,100-mile coastline. In this capacity, he has served as the technical expert for the agency, advising state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and members of industry on actions and programs that can reduce the causes of marine debris. Mr. Schwartz served as advisor and author for the California Ocean Protection Council's Resolution on Marine Debris. The resolution, passed in February 2007, is the most comprehensive policy statement on marine debris in California's history. Prior to the Coastal Commission, Mr. Schwartz worked with the Sierra Club as a local Coordinator, Development Associate, and Grant Proposal Writer for the National Organization, where he was responsible for winning over $1.5 million in grant awards.

Susan Short

Susan Short, Founder and CEO, Deep Green Living, New York, NY
Susan Short is a naturalist, artist and entrepreneur based in New York City. She is founder and CEO of Deep Green Living, a consulting business that provides an expert support network to individuals who want to live in closer alignment with their environmental values. Susan is also the founder, along with her husband John Johnson, of the Harmony Hotel, a surfers' get-away in Costa Rica. She is a founding trustee of the Pacific Foundation, a private charitable foundation that funds innovation in education, the environment and the arts. This current work has evolved out of her experience as a naturalist and program developer at the Biscayne Nature Center in Miami, FL, and as an associate producer, sound technician and writer on natural history documentaries, most notably on the films "Everglades, Home of the Living Dinosaurs" and "Sea of Sharks", both from Disney's New True Life Adventures series.

Kwong To "Plato" Yip

Kwong To "Plato" Yip, Director, Environmental Investments, Olympus Capital, Hong Kong, China
Plato K T Yip is Director of Environmental Investments for Olympus Capital. He has over 15 years of industry experience in environmental policy, technology and investments. Prior to joining Olympus Capital, Mr. Yip was a business strategist for a leading Hong Kong based multi-national conglomerate on bio-tech and environmental investments. Prior to that, he was Director of Centre for Environmental Management Education and Development at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Assistant Director of Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong). Mr. Yip is currently the Chairman of the Hong Kong People's Council for Sustainable Development and a Statutory Board Member of The Climate Group in Hong Kong.  Mr. Yip serves as advisors to governments, businesses, and NGOs on policy and regulatory agenda, business strategies and investment opportunities, and engagement tactics.

Jil Zilligen

Jil Zilligen, Executive Director, Zero Waste Alliance; Director of Operations, International Sustainable Development Foundation, Portland, OR
Ms. Zilligen is the Executive Director of the Zero Waste Alliance and Director of Operations of the International Sustainable Development Foundation. Prior to these posts, she was Chief Sustainability Officer at Nau, Inc. In that position she was responsible for creating a brand, customer experience, and product line that minimized or eliminated negative environmental impacts, maximized equity for all, and set new benchmarks for corporate responsibility and philanthropy. Ms. Zilligen was previously Executive Director of 1% For the Planet, an alliance of over 100 companies committed to conservation work and corporate philanthropy. She has also worked at Patagonia as Director of Environmental Programs and later Vice President of Environmental Initiatives. She has held positions on the Board of Directors of the Conservation Alliance, Environmental Grantmakers Association, and Wildlife Damage Review.